The world of Caenyr is host to a great many races and cultures, and as such there are also many a different languages and dialects to find. In this persistant world, the languages are represented in-game with language widgets where upon use only those carrying the same widget will understand what you are trying to say. Below is a list of the different languages you can find here in our world. In the second post, you will also find a quick guide on how you can aquire languages for your characters, and what restriction apply.

History and Descriptions

AnimalRequires: At least 20 ranks in Animal Empathy.

The animals have a language of their own, though not in the sense that intelligent humanoids though. Those who claim themselves being able to speak the language of the animals usually just have a very close connection to the beasts of the wild, and are able to convey and purvey meanings and intentions through the use of sounds and body language. It usually takes a lot of training to learn to read and interpret all the subtle signals animals use, and most people tend to devote their time trying to understand and communicate with only one type of animal. There are however those who are so in tune with the natural world that they have learnt to communicate with all of its inhabitants in their own manner.

Assassin's CantRequires: Past or present membership in an Assassin's Organization.

Originally developed by the Heyssessini to convey secret messages between each other, in modern day Caenyr this cant sees use in many a closed and tight nit grounds of contracted killers. Different congregations often have their own "dialect" to the cant, where a few words and key phrases usually are changed to suit the specific group in question.

Probably as old as Du'khar, the tongue of the Demons, is the language of the celestials. It is a very beautiful and musical language, its speech flowing and almost poetic. On mortals it often has a calming effect, as its words call for authoritative attention. However those of demonic heritage often find themselves at unease if hearing the language spoken. Its script reminds much of High Elvish, albeit the alphabet is much more intricate and depicts sounds rather than individual letters.

Chant of the Passing WindsRequires: The Vampyre Subrace, or 10 levels in Pale Master.

Often referred to as the language of the Vampyres, it was originally granted to the turned the moment they accepted this gift of immortality and their soul reached the realm of Mor'tep. The Eternal plane upon which the god dwelled where the inverse and direct opposite of the Common plane, and this vampyric language and common related in the same way. The Eternal plane represents death, and the Common plane life. And thus the auditory of the vampyric tongue is a dark and dreary thing, its speech sending shivers down the spines of all mortals as the sounds set up a resonant vibration in the listener's body in the same way some tones can cause glass to shatter.

Today, the Chant of the Passing Winds is granted to all higher undead who serve under Karissa. It is not spoken only in secrecy like before, and even so no mortals have so far managed to learn this tongue on their own. Uttering the vile words stirs and draws both blight and the negative to the speaker, often making the experience of uttering even a single word of the language a dreadful and even agonizing experience. However as the auditory opposite of the languages of the Common plane, the Chant of the Passing Winds draws more attention than many would like since mortals will feel as if death is speaking to them. Mortals whom have happened to hear it often describe it as an eerie, hollow tune fringed with strange whispers that seem to hail from the very air around the undead rather from its own throat.

Common TongueAll races can learn common, and is in the game represented by writing regular English.

The Common tongue, by outsiders often referred to as the human tongue, has been around for as long as any will remember. It is likely that one of the continents of Caenyr was not colonized at first, and that people from, most likely Tyran, crossed the sea and settled in what is now called Chail. Even though there is little evidence to support this, the languages have evolved in a way quite so similar to each other, that they seem like mere accents, indicating that either the influence exerted between the two continents has always been significant, even though travel between them in the past was not as accessible until the Chail- Lantorm boat-line. Or that indeed human originate from one of the continents, and later colonized and civilized the other.

Over the years the language has adopted many words and grammatical structures from other civilizations and races, and has become a complex tool, yet capable of expressing ideas and thoughts exactly. This influence made it one of the most complex languages known today, yet means that many words and structures are comprehensible by many other races, this has proven a valuable starting point for outsides to learn the Common tongue. The ability to understand parts of Common, as well as coming across familiarities during the study of the Common tongue, has made it one of the most rewarding and graspable, regardless of the complexity, languages to learn. This is clearly depicted by the fact that sentient beings of most races have at least a basic understanding of the language, and is taught from a very early age to young Dwarves, Elves, Itheril, Dragons, Celestials and all half-breeds alike. It is also said that many of the Demons are sufficient at the language. Although the wisest of those races are known to speak Common flawlessly, most are known to have typical oddities in their pronunciation, making each of the "dialects" unique.

BetherakaanRequires: Betherak heritage, or past enslavement by the Betherak.

Strongly related to the common tongue is the language of the isolationist people of the Underdark called the Betherak. While the language still at large is very similar to regular common, the tones are often much softer and the words longer as if to give them a sense of superiority above others.

Kyonese

This language originates from the Islands east of Tyran, the Kuratia Islands, which later became known as Kyonobi. Although they are most likely somehow related to the humans of Tyran and Etaria, after all their appearances differ relatively little, they have been separated and cut off from the mainland for thousands of years, centuries before the written form of Common was introduced. Instead of the symbols used in writing on the mainland, in Kyonobi written languages evolved differently, their symbols consisting of combinations of lines and simple shapes, with each symbol forming a thought or idea, and in Common terms each symbol represents a word or a syllable. There are thousands of symbols, making reading the language an impossible task without adequate study. However the spoken language, is much simpler to understand and learn. Although the people of Kyonobi rejected all outside influences regarding their culture, and their language is truly unique in every sense of the word, the thoughts reflected by them are those known to all races. Although it is easy to learn to speak and understand Kyonese, few people travel to those lands, so only obscure scholars and the Kyonobi natives speak it. Even though the natives refuse to speak Common in their homeland, those who travel away from their lands understand the advantages it brings to be able to speak common. So although many say they resent Common and the culture it often represents, most of you here today will find that people from Kyonobi who moved or traveled here, speak Common and often Elvish fluently.

In many ways the language is superior to Common. Those who speak both Common and Kyonese agree that putting a point across in Kyonese is far more efficient. The focus on politeness and calm within the culture has ensured that discussions are diplomatic and generally free from confrontation, however the subtle traps and manipulations take many years to master. However their closed culture and near complete isolation has prevented their wisdom and knowledge from spreading for many years, and has allowed what we now refer to as Common to thrive.

Valasian

With the discovery of the Hidden City and all of the treasures of a lost civilization it held, much would change for the valasian people united under the general Salba-Lin in the coming decades. Language was one of many of those changes. The people of the tribes and kingdoms that had united under a single banner slowly had their various languages and dialect mesh into a single, unified language that very much fit the age of the Poet Warrior that had begun with the rise of the Sultanate. It has during the years become a very expressive language, and is sometimes even referred to as the "language of songs". In poetry and songs, it can convey emotions using simple and gentle words. And it can also be used for exact and rational reasoning.

Gobley

The language of Goblins and Hobgoblins, and is a spoken-only language as it lacks anything resembling a writing system. Many words in Gobley appear to have their roots in the common tongue, and then a smattering of Orcish words, mostly having to do with fighting and war, appear to have been adopted over time as well. The differences in how Gobley is spoken from tribe to tribe varies greatly to the point that anything beyond the most basic communication between members of different tribes requires greater precision and patience than most goblins are capable of. Regardless of dialect the sound of Gobley remains fairly constant to the untrained ear. The cant of the speech is similar to Common but with a much more guttural sound, intermixed with hoots, hisses, growls, and even body language.

The Language is older than most others in Caenyr. Most definitely older than the common tongue. A decision has not been found whether Elvish or Du'Khar is the elder. The language has an evil, rough but flowing sound to it. Most commonly known words from Du'Khar are Soh (you), Ji (I) and Koh (kill). Du'Khar is deeply rooted into the Demonic heritage of the Fallen, and scholars should beware speaking it in the presence of Demons. They are known to be driven to fury at the corruption of their language. The written language is often engraved on stone, or the skin of the captives of The Fallen as paper is rarely found where Demons dwell. It is similar to the more primitive runic or symbolic languages. The written runes are complex and subject to change between each writer, and thusly it takes a great strength of mind to decipher the meaning. A humanoid being is physically unable to produce the proper sounds without extensive training and practice, which takes a number of years. Even decades to accomplish. Half-Demons, even those who have little or no experience with Demons or the Fallen Plane, are still upset or even driven to rage when hearing their native tongue spoken by one who does not share their blood.

Long ago, when Durin created the race of dwarves, he granted them with a voice similar to humans, and taught them a language that can be described as similar to the Dwarven Father himself. Short, rough, and full of spirit. The tones and words often considered humorous by other races are unmatched in their effectiveness. With it remaining clear and coherent even under the extreme conditions of battle and/or inebriation. Even though Dwarves traveled extensively, their cultural unity has resulted in one common Dwarven language, with accents being minor and dialects being non-existent. Although in many way similar to humans, the dwarves are incapable of copying the Common tongue flawlessly, although what is referred to as Dwarven Common is clearly comprehendible by most others. Even today it is still unknown as to why many of the Dwarves use words and yells commonly used by pirates, it is likely that it was a pirate who taught one of the great great grandfathers of the Dwarves their first words of Common.

Bargur

The language of the grae dwarves remains quite close to the dwarven language, however has during the years taken on a lot of the grammar structure of the tongue of the itheril. Thus, certain words and expressions in Bargur flows a bit smoother and sentences tend to grow longer and more complex. It is still rough in comparison to itheril or even the common tongue however, but certainly less so in comparison to regular dwarven. As well, the language is often spoken with a much more dreary tone, the spirit the dwarven language has made itself famous for seemingly drained from it.

Elvish is estimated to be as old, if not older as the Common tongue, and equally complex. It was the secluded way of living that has kept the Elvish language one of the best kept secrets for as long as they possibly could, understanding the advantage of having a language incomprehensible by all other races. It was the exploratory way of the humans that allowed Common to spread, while the secluded way of the Elves evolved the language in a less spread, however with equally numerous dialects and accents, and more diverse than those of Common. Many of the Elves continued the way they had lived so many years, and still do, continuing to speak what is known as High Elvish, although no longer a secret, it takes years of study to comprehend it properly, however it is one of the most charming and appealing languages known today.

It did not take long for some Elves to start to turn towards the outside world. It was the similarity to humans that had drawn them towards them, and it did not take long for them to live together in the cities. And although most Elves spoke Common fluently, the eager-to learn humans got equally involved with the language of their newfound neighbors. Gradually over the years, from the bond between Elves and Humans, new dialects emerged, easy to learn and understand to both races, yet with the same comprehension and ability to express thoughts and ideas as any other language.

Fey'alin - Low Elvish

Most commonly called Fey'alin among the elves and fey themselves, and merely low elvish in the common tongue, this language is by most considered a rough and ready version of high elvish. It's less complex and easier to understand, and thus more accessible to other races. Often fey, such as fairies and pixies, speak Fey'alin.

Ni'ahlaMay be granted to Moon Elves in place of regular Elvish.

Also sometimes called "forest elvish" in the common tongue, this is the elven dialect most often spoken by the moon elves. The difference between Ni'ahla and high elvish mainly lie in the vocabulary due to cultural differences, where a few words and meanings differ.

Uhl'ümMay be granted to Aquatic Elves in place of regular Elvish.

Nearly entirely unknown among the land dwelling races is the elvish dialect spoken by the aquatic elves. While grammar structures are very alike high elvish, the vocabulary has evolved so much during the years it can nearly be called its own language. It makes use of a lot more vowels, and the use of harder consonants such as K and T is nearly nonexistent.

EnyalinGranted to Sky Elves in place of regular Elvish.

Unknown and lost to the passages of time is the ancient elvish language of the sky elves. Its grammar and vocabulary is even more intricate than high elvish, making it night impossible for other elves to understand this dialect in both written and spoken form. For this reason only sky elves themselves know this tongue, and there have been no records of a non-sky elf ever learning it.

Lith'eldalinGranted to Lith'elda in place of regular Elvish.

The spoken language of the reclusive ashelves, which makes a bit more heavy use in consonants and have some differences in grammar and vocabulary. It is a language of very soft tones and is often spoken deliberately more slowly than some other elven dialects and languages. They also make use of a runic script unique to Lith'eldalin instead of the alphabets used by high elvish, making reading Lith'eldalin near impossible for those who have no prior knowledge in the language.

Lok'uraGranted to Lokturi in place of regular Elvish.

The Lokturi, the jungle elves of Valasia, speak an archaic and altered form of elven, making it hard those speaking other dialects of Elvish to communicate with them.

As the Itheril were held as slaves by the Betherak, with their language compromised, there came the need for a new spoken language, incomprehensible to their captors. It is said to be invented by Salithia as a means to organize the rebellion secretly and effectively. In many ways it resembles Elvish, in the way it is pronounced at least. But the words are twisted and dark and the grammar is deliberately complex and hard to follow. As the Itheril rose to power and took control of Har'oloth they continued to use their language, expanding it from a secretive code to transfer basic messages and orders, to a language extensive enough to have conversations in without having to use any of the words of their Elvish grandparents. As the Itheril settled the language prospered, all Elvish words from their past that they deemed relevant were translated and were quickly picked up by both the youngsters and adults alike. Not impossible to learn for outsiders, yet the hostile and solitary attitude of the Itheril has made the information available to the outside world minimal. With spies and agents everywhere all Itheril who are foolish enough to give information to outsiders are assassinated swiftly, the study of Itheril is a hard and dangerous task.

Itheril Sign LanguageRequires: Official training at an itheril assassin's academy/school.

Before the Itheril freed themselves from the Betherak enslavement, they created their own language to be able to speak without their captors understanding them. This language started as a crude sign language that later had words and phrases added, and after the great rebellion then got expanded into the itheril language of modern day. However, the itheril who chose pick up the work as assassins kept utilizing many of the original signs even when the rest of the population seemed to let them become forgot. This sign language has since also seen development, and today quite complex meanings can be communicated using subtle signs and body language.

AkahrilGranted to Akari in place of regular Elvish.

A dialect of itheril spoken by the desert dwelling, dark-skinned Akari elves. It reminds one a lot of the language it is based upon, however its structure has been very simplified and a lot of the vocabulary changed to better suit the environment they dwell within. Words that no longer held any use were deducted, while new ones where added for things, creatures and phenomena that they before had not encountered in the underground caverns.

Hometongue

The name of the language spoken by the gnomes and halflings originates from the small country of Home, where many of the short folk hail. It reminds a lot of regular common in sounds and grammar structure however a majority of the vocabulary has been replaced with words and expressions unique to this language. "Longshanks", the call-name for the taller races, is one such word that has seen a spread even outside Hometongue and can time and again be heard in the mouths of other people of shorter stature.

Aluthr

The twisted tongue of the olath yingling is a mixture between the Hometongue and the Itheril language. Just like the language of the grae, it has a slightly smoother tone and longer sentences, though has also seemingly inherited a bit of the roughness of the Bargur tongue.

A language much like the creatures of the race themselves, rough and blunt. The tones are short and simple, manageable for children at a very young age. This is not to say that evolution has not taken place for the language of Orcs, although as simple as the words might be, the language is near incomprehensible to outsiders. The logic within the chaos of the language is very much underestimated. The same phenomenon is often seen in the kingdom of animals, where with a limited capability of forming complex words they are just as able to communicate complex messages across.

The exact origin of the Orcs and their language is not known to man even today, yet all records and logs of Kings and Emperors in the past, as well as those of Warlords of the Frozen North, show that Orcs have been around as long as men have. Over generations the Emperors of Tyran have kept detailed logs of the language of Orcs, as it was considered valuable information to them, from that becomes clear that their language too has changed and expanded as any other, albeit slower and has retained far more of the original words than Common or Elvish.

Even though a more advanced language than that of most animals, it is considered to be the most raw, brute and indecorous languages spoken today, and the dark and horrible sound of the Orcs is still feared as much as ever. Mages and experts specialized in the field of sleep, have found that often both Men and Elves can mutter Orcish in their nightmares, or wake up with Orcish words on their mind, even if they had no past experiences with the race whatsoever. Because of this there is much ongoing research as to whether the tongue of both Men and Orcs have a link with Orcish in a long forgotten past.

Thieves' CantRequires: Membership in the Torn Shadows.

Little is known about this cant aside the assumptions that is some sort of code language comprised of specific phrases and words that may sound perfectly normal in common, but for those taught in the cant hold a vastly different meaning. Another theory that it is a sign language similar to the Assassin's Cant. All that has been told about the existence of the thieves' cant has proven to only stem from rumors and speculations rather than set fact.

The language of the Greater God Draxil, who has been around since the beginning of time. He created the dragon races and gave them the language referred to as Draconic. Centuries long it has adapted and incorporated many objects, feelings and thoughts that existed in the world of Humans, Elves and all other races, yet was no word for in Draconic, however the words and grammar did not evolve over time. With the language being the creation and spoken language of a God still present in our world today, its style and structure have remained the same.

It is a language very rich and with great depth, with a multi-tonal range that a being without the vocal cords of a dragon cannot come close to emulate the sounds of. Thus only true dragons and half-blood offspring of dragons can properly pronounce Draconic and learn the language. There have been times however that Draxil himself have granted his followers the ability to learn and speak the language magically. However one will always be able to tell if it is a dragon-blood or not speaking. At hearing Draconic from the mouth of a dragon or half-dragon all will turn to look, as the sounds are anomalous to those who are not Draxil's creation. It cannot be explained, the language is not beautiful as Elvish, not as raw and rough as Orcish, nor as humorous as Dwarven, yet magically attracts creatures of all intelligent races, as well as all unintelligible animals to stop and listen. When it is spoken by a dragon or half-dragon it demands silence and attention, and rarely is that underlying order ignored.

Many dragons have been known to take the form of humans, however when speaking Draconic, the voice they speak will be that of dragons, never that of men, as well as all half-dragons that have been granted the knowledge of Draconic will speak with the voice of their draconic ancestor. Therefore Draconic is always spoken as a loud and deep sound like that created by any gigantic creature, due to this Draconic cannot be whispered, nor can a creature of Draxil speak in Draconic without showing their true voice. However, coming back to what was said earlier; when it is spoken by non-draconic follower, their voice will never be able to replicate the depth and authority of a true dragon, and they will thus always be identifiable as such, making it easy to distinguish the true dragons and half-dragons from the gifted.

Last edited by Kraxen on Fri Aug 31, 2012 12:08 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Everyone can speak common. There is no language widget for it and it is represented by writing plain English. In addition you may also gain one free language based on either race or subrace, but not both. Please check the racial/subracial languages for eventual restrictions. After that, you can learn additional languages based on two things, unmodified Intelligence and the skill Listen:

An INT of 11-15 has an ability to learn one additional language. An INT of 16-20 has an ability to learn two additional languages.An INT of 21-22 has an ability to learn three additional languages.

For every whole-10 natural (unmodified) points in Listen, you may earn one additional language.

These numbers represent the characters capabilities for how many languages he/she can know in total.

Common + Ev. Race/Subrace language + INT/Listen count languages = Total languages known. So the absolute maximum any one character could ever learn, given INT 22 and Listen 20 plus being a race that grants a racial/subracial language, is seven languages.

Remember that you do not have to pick up the bonus languages upon character creation. If your character has the capability to learn 4 languages but you only pick 3 during creation, you can through RP later pick up another one.

What languages can I learn?

Some languages and dialects may have restrictions preventing you from picking them up. However for the majority of them goes the rule: If you can back it up with good and justifiable RP, your character can have it.

Last edited by Kraxen on Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.